Lots of holiday help needed in Bay Area stores

KGO

November 26, 2012 12:00:00 AM PST

by Cornell Barnard

SAN FRANCISCO --

Black Friday has come and gone, but many local businesses are still looking to hire more workers for the holiday season. By now, you would think most retailers would have the holiday staff they need, but we were surprised to find how many stores still need help right away.

One of the busiest shopping days of the year is but a memory, but tell that to Emile Saadea.

"Black Friday was good, could always be better," said Saadea.

Saadea owns Fresh Apparel in the Tanforan Shopping Center and with boxes of clothes coming in every day, he needs more help stocking.

"We have shipments coming in two weeks, so we might be looking for someone to do our stocking, but up the inventory, folding. Always need folding here, we have a lot of T-shirts," said Emile Saadea, a Fresh Apparel owner.

We found a number of stores inside Tanforan looking for holiday workers. Hector Garcia needs help at his perfume store. He says he is looking for, "someone that is willing to work, is willing to learn, is willing to be a part of this work and work out with us."

It was the same story at San Francisco's Stonestown Galleria where the hiring signs are out. Analysts say this year about 36 percent of the Nation's retailers planned to hire more seasonal employees. In 2012, 600,000 holiday workers got jobs.

Even Manpower employment agency is surprised how many retailers are calling in need of workers right away.

Luckily, Maya Brannan has lots of resumes of qualified people to send.

"Retail positions, to warehouse packing, to stocking, shipping them out, it's a vast majority," said Maya Brannan, from the Manpower employment agency.

Veronica Andaya needs a holiday job and is relieved to know, she hasn't missed her opportunity. She said, "I'm surprised, it guess it shows that a lot of people are still shopping past Black Friday and how crazy is still is."

See's Candies at the Embarcadero Center is hiring. In fact, we found out all the See's in Northern California need help for the holidays and beyond.